IIT Indore Develops Real-Time Wetland Monitoring Tool To Track Pollution and Water Quality

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indore have developed a digital tool that can monitor the health of wetlands in near real-time. 

It will also help in detecting pollution and other threats before they cause serious damage.

The innovation has been made by Prof. Manish Kumar Goyal and research scholar Vijay Jain from the Department of Civil Engineering. 

The system uses satellite images and cloud-based computing to monitor key water quality indicators such as excess nutrients, turbidity (cloudiness) and vegetation health.

Wetlands play a crucial role in cleaning water, controlling floods, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity. 

Wetlands under pollution threats

Although they cover only 9% of the Earth’s surface, they contribute 23% of the world’s ecosystem services.

India alone has 15.98 million hectares of wetlands, including 93 Ramsar sites, which are under increasing threat from pollution, urbanisation and climate change.

Wetland monitoring relying on manual water sampling and lab tests are time-consuming. 

IIT Indore’s new tool solves this by using freely available Sentinel-2 satellite data and cloud computing to automatically calculate four scientific indices -

NDCI: Detects chlorophyll and eutrophication

NDTI: Monitors turbidity

NDWI: Tracks freshwater availability

NDMI: Measures vegetation moisture

Together, these indicators provide a complete, up-to-date picture of a wetland’s health.

Benefits of tool 

Real-time monitoring - Quickly detects pollution and algae growth.
Low-cost -  Uses free satellite data and open-source software.
User-friendly - Accessible even to NGOs and local communities.
Early warning system - Helps prevent serious ecological damage.
Scalable - Can be used across all wetlands in India.

Director of IIT Indore Prof. Suhas Joshi, said, “This innovation shows IIT Indore’s commitment to using technology for social and environmental good. It empowers communities and authorities to protect vital ecosystems.”

Prof. Manish Kumar Goyal added that the real-time monitoring tool gives wetland managers satellite-based insights to detect pollution and turbidity early. It helps take quick, informed action to safeguard India’s Ramsar wetlands.

The researchers plan to expand the tool by adding more water quality parameters and instant pollution alerts. The application is free for everyone which makes it accessible to governments, researchers and citizens.

This breakthrough marks an important step toward protecting India’s wetlands, preserving biodiversity and ensuring long-term water security.